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However, one viewer complained to the ASA that it was "irresponsible" to suggest viewers should make their own decision about whether police involvement was necessary.

The complainant said children crying could be a sign that they were in a harmful situation, such as witnessing domestic violence or their carers being incapacitated.

Surrey Police said while the footage in the advert could depict either scenario described on screen, in most cases the public knew what the problem was, such as children playing outside, parties, or noisy DIY, but called the police as they were unsure who else to contact.

According to the ASA ruling, Surrey Police said the campaign had been independently evaluated and "90% of people understood the juxtapositions used in the campaign".

Clearcast, the agency which clears adverts for broadcast in the UK, said it believed "the ad struck the right balance in causing viewers to pause for thought and judge situations more closely in order to react with informed choices", according to the ASA ruling.

The Advertising Standards Agency banned this advert as "socially irresponsible" after just one complaint

However, the ASA disagreed with the police and Clearcast and upheld the viewer's complaint.

The ASA said: "We considered that the ad was likely to be understood as discouraging viewers from reporting problems to the police unless they were certain of what was taking place.

"Given the specific example used and the potential outcomes of failing to report suspected child abuse, we concluded that the ad was socially irresponsible.

The ASA Council ordered the advert not to be shown again, and told Surrey Police to ensure their advertising "did not imply that viewers should avoid calling the police in situations where an individual could be at risk of harm."

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Surrey Police Deputy Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: "We are naturally really disappointed by the Council's decision which contradicts their own investigator's findings and the independent evaluation the force commissioned, which showed high public understanding of the deliberate juxtapositions of the campaign.